Electric truck turns 100 and everyone's invited to the party

Electric trucks are starting to catch on. It only took 100 or so years. Many would be shocked to learn that at the dawn of the 20th Century, it was not gas or diesel power that delivered America’s goods, it was electricity.

The Iowa 80 Trucking Museum is inviting the public to a birthday celebration for its 100-year-old, 1911 Walker Electric Truck. The Walker Electric Truck was built by the Walker Vehicle Co. in Chicago, IL. The company continued to produce electric vehicles until 1941.

“Many people think that electric vehicles are a recent invention, when in fact they were in production over 100 years ago,” says Dave Meier, museum curator.

The Iowa 80 Trucking Museum owns one of the few remaining Walker Electric Trucks, which were used extensively to deliver ice cream and other products to customers in turn-of-the-century cities. The museum is hosting a birthday party for its truck on Friday July 15, at 2:30 p.m. The event is part of the Walcott Truckers Jamboree July 14-15.

According to the museum, its truck was owned by Bowman Dairy and delivered milk to hospitals, restaurants and hotels. The museum purchased the truck at an auction several years ago.

So, if you’re in the vicinity of Walcott, IA, on July 14, take Exit 284 off I-80 and take a peek at what delivery life was at the beginning of the 20th Century.